choosing BU over Harvard...crazy?

[SilentSwirl]

I didn't ridicult her (him?)!  I know you didn't say I did. She asked for an opinion, and mine is "I just couldn't turn down Harvard no matter how much it cost me!"   Of course, this was before I knew s/he had or was planning on shortly having a family. I'm a single girl, I'll just gain some debt and live off of veggie pasta my first year out.

To the OP - why does going to Harvard mean you can't raise your family the way you want? And, did you answer whether or not you were interested in Public Interest work?

[Omaha8]

I'm in a similar position to you, Sprite, except not firmly set on the public interest thing yet.  Married with 2 kids, in at Harvard, full ride at UConn and probably will get it at BU as well.  Plus, I'll be commuting from Western Mass, so Harvard adds more time away from family (vis-a-vis UConn) as well as the 120K debt.   I flipflop on the decision each day.

A few thoughts based on previous posts. If you haven't already, you should probably be seeking out more real info, rather than the well intentioned but mostly questionably qualified opinions on this site.  So talking to lawyers at the sorts of agencies where you'd want to work to see how they'd view the two degrees, asking career svcs at both schools for fairly detailed placement histories in your areas of interest, etc.  That's what I'm trying to do. 

Also, are you certain that HLS won't give you LIPP money based on your husband's salary?  My understanding is that unless your spouse makes a boatload more than you will, that they'll essentially ignore his salary.  If he does make a boatload more than the 40K or so you'd make in PI, then you guys should be making well into six figures, and maybe paying 10K  a year for a decade or so won't be such a big deal?  Guess it depends on where you live.

Please let me/us know what you end up deciding, and why.  I think a lot of folks are in the same boat.

[Yankees Fan]

If this were between a school ranked 30 and one ranked 50, I'd say it's a very tough decision.

However, it's Harvard, and IMO, you just don't pass that up for BU, even though BU is an excellent school.  I'm no prestige whore... but this is Harvard we're talking about.  The possibilities, no matter what you want to do and where you go are endless.  You never know what turns your life will take, and if you have the opportunity to have Harvard on your diploma, by all means you take it.

Just my $.02.

[HerculePoirot]

Go to Harvard...everybody will think you're an expert and will want to be your friend...plus you'll have connections to some of the most powerful people in the world.

[Commie Panda]

BU...i don't think it's that obvious of a decision. It really depends on how willing you are to have the whole debt burden after you graduate...If money's not an issue--Harvard.  In your case, tough call but I would say don't shut BU out so quickly.

[Edna St. Vincent Millay]

i interned at a legal services organization in boston, and both of the attorneys that i interned with went to harvard. they were both the heads of their units, and were actually unemployed for a couple months after law school b/c they were waiting for public interest jobs (they graduated in the mid-80s).

the truth is that those jobs are extremely hard to come by, even for harvard graduates, and you don't get them without alumni relationships and an amazing resume.

see what BU can offer as far as helping place you in your career field. my feeling is that harvard will give you the leg up that BU just can't offer, especially if you ever leave the boston area.

good luck!

[FLangel]

Sprite:  My "financially free" comment was not at all related to possible scholarships or debt from law school.  What I was trying to say is that I'll get back into public interest stuff as my A vocation, not vocation.  

It's important to note that I haven't practiced public interest law, either.  I've done "public service."  The two could be very different.  All I know is that my public sector experience has left me a bit jaded . . . I'm no longer that wide-eyed, inspired, and optimistic heroine that entered the public sector over a year ago.  I see how inefficient and poorly-managed "the system" is.  Trust me, I still want to affect change and "make the world a better place," but not at the cost of my day-to-day happiness and personal fulfillment.

Take it for what it's worth.

[Ted Buckland, ESQ]

If you're so family oriented OP, wouldn't you also want to leave your children with the biggest nest egg? You might realy love PI and all, but the fact that you're talented enough to get into Harvard means you are probably someone who will be very successful in almost every endeavor they undertake, which could lead to tremendous wealth as an amazing attorney, whether it's in biglaw or private practice. I think if I'm looking at what is best for my children, it would be to ensure that they never have to worry about 'money' ever in their lives, and will be free to not have to worry about making similar hard decisions are you are making right now (I.E. taking on debt because I am not independently wealthy). I don't know if I'm being totally clear in what I'm trying to convey, but essentially I am saying what's best for your children might be to choose the route that will lead to the most financial security for your family, which in this case is a no brainer IMO- a Harvard Law School degree.

[SilentSwirl]

If you're so family oriented OP, wouldn't you also want to leave your children with the biggest nest egg? You might realy love PI and all, but the fact that you're talented enough to get into Harvard means you are probably someone who will be very successful in almost every endeavor they undertake, which could lead to tremendous wealth as an amazing attorney, whether it's in biglaw or private practice. I think if I'm looking at what is best for my children, it would be to ensure that they never have to worry about 'money' ever in their lives, and will be free to not have to worry about making similar hard decisions are you are making right now (I.E. taking on debt because I am not independently wealthy). I don't know if I'm being totally clear in what I'm trying to convey, but essentially I am saying what's best for your children might be to choose the route that will lead to the most financial security for your family, which in this case is a no brainer IMO- a Harvard Law School degree.

No. In terms of family, quality of life is something that money certainly cannot buy.

Also, you can hardly make a case that there will not be financial security with a degree from BU. She might make MORE with a degree from Harvard, depending on what she does with herself when she's done, but that hardly means her children wouldn't otherwise have a good life!

However, I still say Harvard.

And I still want the OP to answer my questions:
1. Why does going to Harvard mean you can't raise your family the way you want?
2. Are you interested in Public Interest work?
3. (added) Are you single/dating/engaged/married/have kids?

[Johnny Stuffs His Mouth]

Swirl,

Regarding 2., I think the OP's OP stated that (s)he does want to do PI.